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According to the traditional four schools of Islam, a woman may not travel for an extended distance without a male chaperone, specifically one that she cannot marry; a mahram. This is based on many narrations in which the Prophet is related to have prohibited a woman to travel for more than three nights except when there is a Mahram with her.1 Variations of this narration exist in multiple collections with the number of days ranging from a single, to triple, hence, it is not surprising that this has been accepted wholly by all of the schools, as such.

However, in recent times, the discourse of maqasid al-shariah has become prominent with many scholars questioning the objective behind such rulings.

The Arabic noun Maghrib comes from the root gharaba, “to depart, to set, to go away,” and the noun formed from this root literally means “the place of the sunset.” It is thus apparent that Maghrib means actual sunset or sundown, as understood universally, i.e, the time of departure or declension of the sun from the horizon when it is no longer visible.Continue reading “Does Maghrib Begin at Sunset?”